I want first of all to be at peace with myself.I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention,
A central core to my life that will enable me
To carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can.
I want, in fact ~~ to borrow from the language of the saints
To live ‘in grace’ as much of the time as possible.
I am not using this term in a strictly theological sense.
By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual,
Of which can be translated into outward harmony.
I am seeking perhaps what Socrates asked for
In the prayer from the Phaedrus when he said,
"May the outward and inward man be One."
I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace
From which I could function and give
As I was meant to in the eye of God.
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

There has, over the course of our human history, been tragedies, horrid unfair and incomprehensible occurrences that leave us feeling vulnerable and in pain. Of late I have seen these tragedies unfold around me and as a shaman I find myself approaching the feelings that rise up from these heartbreaking events quite differently than I would have in the past. Rather than react, rather than add more energies to the negativity that is unfolding, I go to my place of peace. I seek this place within that I have grown more and more comfortable in, it is where my truth resides and I find myself as closely touching the divine as I can.

From here I can then find the grace of love, compassion, and balance. There is no judgment, as that does not serve me or those around me well. There is no anger as that is only a waste of my resources. There is no need to react in any other way other than in love. I bring this love through supportive energies, prayers, rituals and peace-filled thoughts.

What I have noticed is that as I keep my spiritual eye focused on this state of being, it seems to reach out to others I have connection with. It gently brings them back to a place of balance. It reminds them of the sacred place they have within. It seems to ground them and bring them to that place of comfort.

There is much we have to be grateful for, much we are blessed with. These incidents, among the many different perspectives that they bring to lives, bring the recognition that we need to place an importance on where we choose to place our focus. We are often quick to point out what we are lacking, where we fall short, who may have it better than us and more. But if instead we consciously make the choice to place our attention to what we do have, who blesses our life, how fortunate we are and to the beauty that surrounds us, life is viewed very differently and we move with grace from this perspective.